Bring it, Devil
by Kadaj
Summary: Lady hated her father's parties. However, this time, things are going to be a little different. This time, Lady's hands may be full with a few unexpected guests....
1. The smartly dressed stranger

**A simple look at what could've happened before DMC3, mind you, with a little amnesia going around :P**

**Disclaimer: Devil May Cry 3 is the property of...that gaming company.**

It wasn't that she hated dances. No, it wasn't anything like that. She used to go to them all the time, back when her father allowed her to attend a high school. She actually enjoyed them to an extent, just as long as she wasn't required to wear a dress. That was something Lady would not acquiesce to.

But sadly, her father was not the type to be merciful, even to his own flesh and blood.

Thus, the Lady stands before the crowded ballroom of couples both young and old, clad in a gorgeous, navy blue evening gown. Was she miserable? Yes. Was she upset? Yes. Was she utterly pissed off?

Oh hell yes.

That was the whole reason why she stood in a corner by the punch ball, her masquerade mask covering naught but her forehead and lips. It was a midnight blue to accentuate her dress, according to her quote 'designer,' but she noticed with a bitter tone that her dissimilar colored eyes shone about the ballroom like sirens. And that was the last thing Lady wished to happen.

Now, if this were some other dance, not one of her father's weird, fancy balls, then she would've been kicking it on the dance floor. But, alas, that was not the case. Instead, she was surrounded by strange men and women, some of which…well, they didn't feel human to Lady. And the way some would look at her! Sometimes it was lust, but other times…other times it looked like hunger. As if they wanted to devour her right on the spot…

She tried to tell her father about that before, but he bluntly stated that she was a charming young girl and of course she was going to get some looks from males. Lady, so frustrated over Arkham's denying fit, promptly slammed the door shut and held up in her room for days. Sure, it may have seemed immature of her, but dammit, she needed to know!

Which leads us back to the story, where a certain girl stood, arms crossed, leaning against a pillar. Lady watched dismally as her father conversed with some nobles; classical music from the orchestra danced in her ears. A man walked up to her, at some point, she didn't recall when, and offered her a dance. She automatically denied it, stating she was too tired; she tried to ignore his furious gaze as he departed.

Lady's eyes swept across the ballroom dully. It was the same kind of people as always; her father never seemed to differentiate between other social groups, always choosing the fanciest I.E. the richest people he could find around for his fantastic 'world-renown' parties. However, for once, something caught her gaze among the snobby like group of partygoers, if that's what you'd wish to call them.

He was standing near an older man, one with silver hair and a monocle over one of his eyes whom of which was conversing with her father. The talking man was draped in purple, and was gesturing to the younger man next to him. Lady had to hold her breath when the younger one turned enough for her to see his partially covered face. From what was not covered by the stunning, shimmering crimson mask perched over his face, she could see high cheek bones and full, rosy lips.

Lady had to shake her head when her eyes betrayed her; she quickly shifted her gaze away. It was just another one of her father's stuck-up, so-called friends, she told herself, attempting to remain calm. However, soon it became too much to bear and she once more, took a look over at the stranger.

He was clad in an expensive looking black coat, golden threads twirling down several parts of the fabric in an inquisitive design of a ferocious dragon. For pants he bore black slacks and black shoes lined in gold on his feet. His hair…well, at that point, Lady felt slightly jealous. It was a gleaming silver, pushed back neatly with a small section hanging over his forehead.

Mary was oblivious to the other guests as her gaze was locked onto the strange man. He looked young, maybe early twenties or so. And…wait, why was she wondering about his age? Lady growled, resisting the urge to slap her forehead in front of the crowd, not that she would care anyway…

And then it was silence.

They were so cold…ice…winter…cerulean…

His gaze was locked onto her own eyes this time; her father and the other man had departed, hoping to entertain the other guests. Lady was frozen; whether it was fear or surprise, she didn't know. All she knew was that...he was walking towards her. No one else paid mind to his movement, but Lady was entranced by it. It was almost like he was gliding across the ballroom floor, light as a feather, yet as deadly as a starving bobcat, protecting her young.

And when he slowed to a halt in front of her, she had a feeling her comparison was one hundred percent correct. He continued to stare at her, eyes so devoid of emotion that Lady actually cringed. The man's lips curled up slightly into a smirk at her reaction, causing her to quickly become enraged. However, it calmed just as quickly when he held his hand out to her. Lady only stared dumbly at the offered hand; the man raised an eyebrow.

"My Lady, do you not know how to dance?" She felt her face burn in both embarrassment and anger over his somewhat haughty inquisition. She surprised both herself, and the man (though he was quick to cover it up, she still saw a flash of it) by roughly grabbing his hand with a glare and guiding him to the floor.

"You don't think I can dance, eh! Humph, men, all the same," Lady muttered under her breath, placing her hand on his shoulder, and holding onto his other hand above her own shoulder. The man's eyes flashed with amusement. He encircled his arm around her waist; Lady tried not to tremble at the sensations that passed with that simple brush of skin against her bare back. She raised her eyes to his own, once more enraptured by the icy orbs penetrating her gaze.

They swept across the floor with the other couples, gliding across the floor like swans. Lady had trouble at first keeping up with the man ("I thought you could dance?" "Oh shut up…"), but quickly adjusted as the music took on a more familiar tone. The stranger truly was a talented dancer; he even had to slow down to allow the self entitled "Queen of Dance" to catch up.

And how had Lady felt during the dance? Her mouth had been dry, her stomach had been churning, and she was sweating, badly. Her outward appearance said otherwise, though, she was sure the man could easily see through her fake little persona.

The dance ended all too soon for her, and they pulled about without a word. In fact, just as Lady was going to ask him for his name, he spun on his heel and departed through the ballroom doors without a second glance. Not only did she feel hurt, but she was once more angry; angry that the man had been so rude, and angry that she let herself believe that there were actually gentlemen in this world.

Lady snorted, kicking the ground in a childish manner. Sure, it had just been a simple dance, nothing more, but she at least wanted to get to know the guy. The teenager sighed and gazed around at the chatting guests. And suddenly, her jaw dropped.

Déjà vu, baby.


	2. The Drunken Slob

_AN: Yup, I'm actually alive. I have been so sick of DMC...that is until I saw TGS '06's trailer and am now very pissed off about how they're making Dante look like a bad guy in it. --;;_

_Disclaimer: DMCCapcom _

_Chapter 2_

And thus, he only made her night even more horrible than it already was.

She…He…what the hell? Lady wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, scratching her head in confusion as a very familiar silver-haired man slouched around the ballroom. Was it…no, it couldn't be. The way he moved, the way he spoke; it was all different; his hair was also flat, messy, and without gel. Hell, all she had to do was look at his eyes. He also looked…er…slightly on the drunk side. She shook her head. No, it couldn't be the same man; there was no grace around this slob. It was made painfully obvious when he finally spoke to her.

"Hey baby…wanna dance?" drawled the man as he stumbled in front of her, tripping over his own feet but saving himself from collapsing to the floor at the last second. Lady's nose wrinkled up in disgust as his alcohol ridden breath spread under her sense of smell. She hated people who got drunk. Honestly, it was unethical and just plain gross to look at. Though, she had to admit, it was sometimes quite humorous to watch a person dance around like a clown. The woman gave a sigh at the lopsided grin hooked on his face. He didn't even seem drunk anymore…

"Er…no thanks. I don't dance," Lady said as honestly as she could; she may have temper problems, but she wouldn't be directly mean unless the situation called for it. She didn't expect the man to sober up that quickly after she had answered his question though…

"Ah, but you were dancing earlier. Saw you, babe. So what's the matter? I'm too sexy for you?" he winked at her and leaned forward slightly as to reveal his naked chest beneath the coat. Seriously, who the hell comes to a ball in a long, red coat, completely undone without a shirt underneath, tight brown pants, and boots? Disgusting! Lady's eye twitched under stress and the man noticed, giving a laugh that sang in her ears. "I knew it."

"_Excuse_ me," she growled between her tightly clenched teeth and stormed past the obnoxious, silver haired man who snickered in reply. Shoving past all the other guests, Lady trounced through the balcony doors, leaning over the railing, panting in rage. "How the hell did he get me _that_ angry! I feel like a child," she admitted painfully, eyebrows furrowed together in her usual deep thought. And thus, came her rain of feelings over the night. The first man was serene, polite, and calm. He was everything a girl could hope for, the kind you would only read in fantasy novels and likes like that. The second one was…ooh! It made her tremble in anger at his rudeness and…and…his strange attraction that seemed to pull her in deeper and deeper. She let out a heartfelt groan. Lady hated how her mind reacted sometimes…

The stars shone brightly above her head. To the left, she saw her father mingling with his guests in the expensive, large window. To the right, she saw her own self staring back, her own ugly tomboy outlook. You wouldn't think it, but sometimes, she'd wish she were prettier, like all of those other girls in school. Lady held her hand up to her eyes, staring at the broken fingernails in distaste. Maybe that was why the only guy who had hit on her, ever, was a drunken slob with bad hair and a foul mouth who was probably drinking his own piss at that moment. Yeah, she always did get attention from other men, but still…she had never even had a boyfriend who wanted her more than for her looks.

Lady gave a sigh and shot another look back at her father. Strangely enough…he had vanished. Raising an eyebrow in question, Lady dashed back inside, holding up her dress long enough so she could stagger through the doorway.

"Mary, could you follow me?" her father's voice snaked from her right, making her jump slightly in a shock that was purely reflexive. Guess she didn't have to go looking after all. He seemed to find her all the time anyway. Lady craned her head to meet her father's, sending him her own questioning look at his mysterious façade. He only nodded at her issue which proved to further her frustration.

"Why, father?" Mary asked stubbornly and put on the most innocent expression she could muster without making her vomit. Her father, of course, saw right through her little act and put his hand on her shoulder, a sign she knew all too well. It simply meant: 'If you don't follow me right this instant, you're going to be in a shit load of trouble later.' Lady gave a slight sigh of defeat, which caused her lovely little father to smile that creepy smile he did when he got his way. He was like a child sometimes…

When he started up the staircase, she quietly followed. She did a once over of the room from her shoulder before she exited the room, however, and caught the stares of _both of them. _Looking like they had just been in a small tat, Lady locked eyes with them both. There was a moment of silence between the three, a moment of silence that the young woman interpreted from their stares as a warning. That's what they were telling her.

_Don't go with him._

But of course she didn't listen. After all, she was too stubborn to believe two freaky haired guys like them. So, submissively, she snubbed them, nose turned up, and followed her father obediently out of the room.

"Father, where exactly are we going?" Lady asked Arkham quietly, not wanting her voice to echo against the walls of the dark staircase. Her father said nothing, merely holding out the candlestick further to illuminate the darkness of the stairwell. Lady's temper flared. "Father!"

"I just wish to show you something, Mary. Why are you acting so frightened?"

"I-I'm not. I've just never been down here before…" she shakily whispered as she thought she saw the flicker of a strange shadow draw across her father's bald head. There was definitely something not right about this. Where were they headed? The basement? She'd heard strange sounds coming from down there; so needless to say, she was not very keen on entering that floor. Another shadow, another jump. Her father gave her a strange look over his shadowed shoulder. His eyes were covered by the darkness; she did not see the psychotic glint shining beneath the bi orbs.

It was silence before they reached the large set of iron doors at the bottom of the staircase. Lady's breath hitched in her throat as more strangled moans came from within. A quick look at her father told her that he was not in the least bit surprised, nor worried about whatever laid within. Her fingers trembled as he set the candle on floor and shoved open the doors with little struggle. The creaking of the iron made her shake even more. This was not good. She should not be here.

"Mary? Are you alright?" She jumped; she couldn't help it. She nodded her head furiously, following her father, shaking still, into the brightly lit room. Lady squinted as her eyes adjusted, and when they finally did, let out a huge gasp of astonishment.

A science lab, was it? The room was huge; the ceiling was like it rose to the very heavens itself. Tanks and cages lay set up around the room, some hiding shadows of lust and greed. That was the only way she could portray what she saw. And to the right stood many of the guests, surrounding what could only be described as one of those weird time machines you saw on TV. But this one…this one set off an eerie red glow and held screams and moans of pain within that made Mary take a few steps away from the monstrous device.

Her father noticed. He grabbed her arm sharply and attempted to drag her to the machine. Mary screamed and struggled, having a horrible feeling that she had something to do with it. Her father…when did he get so strong? It was like he wasn't even human! The other guests didn't even help. They just kept staring at her like she was fresh meat, again and again and again! Eyes glowing golden, fangs protruding, tails unwinding, claws shooting out. Who the hell were these people!

"Stop it father, what are you doing!" Lady screamed at her psychotic father, who did not even take the time to answer his frantic daughter. Instead, he grabbed a small test tube out of the pocket of his coat, showing it to all the inhuman guests whose fierce eyes lit up in pure ecstasy and holding her still one naught but one arm.

"Sparda has departed for the night, no need to worry. As have his sons," Mary stalled for a split second; foolish man, did he not notice the two boys hiding in the shadows? And was the obnoxious one truly his other son? And Sparda? The legendary demon her father had told her story tales about? Was this all true? Her mind was buzzing as her father continued to rant, "I have his DNA in this single strand, and I have the woman needed to unlock the seal. All is good." Lady heard this and started to struggle even more.

"You fucking psycho!"

"Silence!" Her father yelled at her sharply, eyes flashing, and threw her to the ground with the power of a beast from hell. Mary's skull cracked onto the stone floor, but somehow, she managed to not lose consciousness. Maybe it was her willpower that allowed her to get to her knees, her head spinning the lab around in circles. Her father continued to drone on and on about some legend and gate and shit. Her vision cleared. She saw the door.

Mary dove for it.

However, as soon as her feet shifted, she was held between two of the guests, whose claws dug into her flesh painfully. Lady gave a shriek of despondence, falling to her knees, sobbing. Never at that time did she want her mother more. There was nothing she could do as she was dragged to the machine by those inhuman creatures, as her father slipped the one strand of hair into a side pocket on the device, as she was thrown into the vivid colors of what she could only know as hell.

It was then that all hell broke loose.


	3. The graceless princess

AN: Hey guys...it's been uh...three years XD I finally got really bored one day and just decided to start writing again :D Here you goooo

Disclaimer: I do not own DMC or any of their characters

Lady's breath caught in her throat as a flash of silver struck past her left. Next thing she knew, she was yanked out of the machine violently. Her head kept spinning as words jumbled past her eardrums; she felt drunk.

"Babe, focus! It's not nap time!" she recognized the annoying voice of the second man from earlier; her eyes snapped open and locked with his determined gaze. Without even a sign of effort, he swept her off her feet; Lady felt as if she were flying when he took off running. Growls and snarls surrounded her, bodies were flying, her father was screaming. It was all Lady could do but burrow her head into the shoulder of the silver haired man clutching her to his chest.

"_Where is she?_" Shudders went down her spine as the inhuman voice erupted from her father's vocal chords. His screams slowly faded in the background as her savior burst through the doors and started down the long elegant hallway. She raised her head slightly, sneaking another glance at the young man.

She suppressed her shock when she gazed upon his face; his mouth was curled up into a humored smile. Immediately, her expression turned dark.

"I fail to see how _any_ of this is amusing," she spat venomously as his jog slowed to a quick walk. The man responded with a deep chuckle vibrating deep within his chest, which only furthered to cause more irritation for Lady.

"It's not that babe," her eyebrow twitched slightly as he called her that atrocious name once more, "This is the kind of shit I love to do."

"What, trying to be a badass?" she snorted rudely, brushing back a strand of her hair; he looked down at her with a smirk that warmed her very bones.

"I don't try, I _am_."

As soon as those words left his lips, those too familiar inhuman roars broke into the hallway. They both glanced over his shoulder only to see what remained of the door lying scattered on the floor. Lady let out a slight gasp, instinctively clinging tighter to her hero.

"Psh…can't get enough of me, huh?" he muttered amusingly to himself. Lady watched him with interest as he seemed to quickly scan over what would be the best option, all while she squirmed nervously in his arms; the demons drew ever closer, and they were sitting ducks!

"Uh…."

"Dante, sweetcheeks." Her eyes narrowed.

"You greasy bastard, we need to move!" Dante merely shot her another cocky smile, hair falling in his ice blue eyes. Though they were mirror images of the other man, his showed his whole heart. She felt as if she were looking through a TV screen broadcasting every emotion he could give out. Hoisting her closer to him, he took one last look at the impending mob of monsters.

"Hold on tight!"

That was an understatement.

* * *

At one point, Lady thought her screams were loud enough that the glass was shattering from the noise itself; this point was proven wrong when she noticed the demons spilling from the broken shards every time a window erupted. To put it bluntly, she had never gone this fast on anything in her life. To put it even more bluntly, she had never ever been this terrified in her life either. The man carrying her was doing little to comfort her; every time she let forth another terrified scream he just giggled.

A clawed arm grazed his shoulder; her eyes widened as he swiftly dispatched it with a shot from one of his guns. She had no idea how he was managing to balance both her and holding a gun accurately enough to hit them dead on, but at this point, she figured questioning it would do no good.

The hallway she thought would never end finally did; only a door stood between her and her freedom. As they quickly approached her, her thoughts stumbled. What…what had happened to her father? His eyes…they were human no longer. A part of her wanted to go back. It really did. But at the same time, what good would that do? Clearly he paid no mind to her safety; he was going to sacrifice her to open some gate to hell or something. Not exactly a father of the year, right there. But as much as she hated her father…he was still her father.

She took a sharp intake of breath as Dante splintered the door with ease. But, she thought fearfully, this man seems to have the same power as the guests tonight. Was she really safer here than she was in the lab? Another sneaky glance told her she was right. If the man meant her any harm, she would have been left in that lab to die. And what of his doppelganger? She assumed it was his brother, but he had been left behind.

"Hey…you ok?" Her thoughts were broken by the confused voice of Dante. Only then did it occur to her that she was…cold. She was outside; it was snowing. How could she forget? It was her favorite weather. She suppressed a shudder as the wind roared; she would not show her weakness in front of a man. Inhaling an icy cold breath, Lady curtly nodded.

"Of course I am, I am just f-fine." She inwardly cursed as the cold air blew once more, breaking her smooth speech. Her temper bubbled when Dante let loose a small chuckle and slowed to a brisk walk once more. They were already so far away from the castle…his speed was extraordinary. But still… "Are you sure we should slow down?" she anxiously questioned him, all the while avoiding his gaze.

"I'm taking the protected forest route babe. Demons ain't going near it," he caught her questioning gaze and chuckled once more "and I'm not full demon, got some human in me." Ah, she had forgotten. Her father had a priest come in and place a blessing on these woods; demons that entered it would burst into flames. There were other ways to go, yes, but the forest was the quickest and most efficient route out.

"So you're a half blood…and that other man in there…he…" At that, Dante snorted as he shoved a tree branch aside; he gently set Lady down.

"Yeah, that's my brother in there. Total show off though. Prick too." Lady rolled her eyes, smoothing out her dress as they continued onwards through the dark woods.

"And you're not?" she muttered lowly, not sure if Dante had caught it or not. If he did, he did not show it; he was more interested in restocking the ammo on his dual pistols. A wave of concern hit her, though she did not know why, "Is…he gonna be ok?" she asked quietly, shifting her gaze to the forest floor. Dante glanced over at her, a slightly irritated expression replacing his goofy one instantly.

"Yeah Virgil will be fine. Why the hell you worrying about him? You don't even know him," the half-breed spat out. The wind shifted once more, carrying with it more of the bitter winter air that seemed to crawl through Lady's bones. She couldn't help it; she grabbed her arms harshly, hair rising from the chills wracking her body. "Hey uh…do you want my coat?" Dante tentatively asked, sliding his guns back into the holsters and moving to remove it. Lady shot him a defiant look, brushing aside her frazzled black strands of hair as they wind brought them to her.

"I'm…f-fine!" She cursed herself once more, stubbing her toe on one of the many rocks scattered on the forest floor right after. Dante didn't look convinced, but she supposed he figured it was a losing fight and gave up.

He changed the subject.

"So…why do they call you Lady anyways?" She jerked at the mention of her nickname, sending him a suspicious glance to which he quickly responded, "Everything will be explained in time, just know you're with the right side. We won't let anything happen to you," he softly crooned, rubbing her shoulder with his gloved hand; goose bumps exploded on her skin and she hoped he attributed them to the cold.

"It was a dumb joke when I was little. I was never girly enough, so my friends constantly joked that they had to call me Lady to know what my gender was." As much as she was trying to hide it, she had a feeling that her annoyance was shining like a beacon in the dark forest. Dante caught on and didn't skip a beat.

"Heh…all they had to do was just sneak a peek. Seems like you're hiding some nice treasures under-urf!" Dante stumbled as he caught Lady's hand smoothly. Her face was livid, shoulders shaking from either the cold or anger; she did not even know which at this point. She had a feeling she wouldn't have been able to slap him, but it was worth a shot. Dante's grin widened as he let go of her hand.

Maybe not.

The wind whipped again. This time, the cold was too much; she dropped to her knees, grabbing her arms and trembling. Her knee pricked and pained on the harsh surface through her thin dress, but that was not her number one concern at the time. Dante knelt next to her, though she barely noticed. She couldn't do it anymore; she was mentally and physically numb.

"Honestly Dante…do you not know how to treat a lady?" Warmth enveloped her as a coat that was warm from use, draped over her shivering, thin body. The smell of familiar cologne filled her nostrils; Dante rose from the ground, lifting Lady as he did so. Her breath hitched in as she took in what stood before her.

The other brother. The one that she danced with at the ball, the one with the ice cold eyes stood before her. Dante said his name was…Virgil. However, the mask was off now, so she got to see how truly similar he looked to his brother. It was pretty obvious they were twins, she thought quickly as his eyes made contact with her. She shivered again, though this time, she knew it was not from the cold. She watched as his toned arms handed an old, worn book to Dante; she was broken from her spell when she realized what that book was.

"My father's journal? Why do you have it?" The man fluidly dropped it in a satchel strewn over his belt, lips tightly pursed.

"Perhaps it will give us some insight into how to keep you safe and keep him away," he looked back at Dante, who was standing off to the side, irritated. His eyes focused on his red coat. "Brother, did you really need that coat?" Dante rolled his eyes and shuffled towards them, arms crossed in annoyance. His boots kicked up dust; he gestured angrily towards her as she clutched the Virgil's coat tightly.

"She kept saying she was FINE."


End file.
